In the art of bar peeling or turning machines, rolling skins or surface deformations or cracks are removed from cylindrical workpieces such as hot-roll bars, billets or tubes, by automatically feeding the workpieces in an axial direction through a centerless peeling machine. A surface layer, usually varying between 0.008 and 0.100 inch, is peeled or turned from each workpiece, according to the diameter of the workpiece which generally ranges between 0.31 inch and 4.72 inches. One such peeling machine is manufactured by Sandvik, Inc. under the trademark "Coromant". In this machine, a rotating annular peeling head carries a set of angularly disposed cutting tools, and the cylindrical workpieces are successively fed through the head on its axis by sets of feed rollers located on opposite sides of the head. The feed rollers are supported by corresponding radially adjustable blocks, and some of the blocks are biased inwardly by springs which exert sufficient force to prevent rotation of each workpiece.